


another way to fly

by bubbleteabunny



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:33:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21748351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubbleteabunny/pseuds/bubbleteabunny
Summary: Your clumsiness could get you into the darndest situations.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Reader, Leon/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 271





	another way to fly

The sunny morning is a familiar sight no matter where you find yourself in Galar this time of year, but what is a change of pace is the lack of that salty sea breeze hitting your nose the moment you step out of the house. Of course, this is only one of multiple differences you’re confronted with, being further south, but you appreciate the variety in scenery. As you descend the porch steps and walk to the main road, you’re greeted not with the loud horns of ships arriving at the docks, but with the bleats of wild Wooloo grazing.

A quick glance at the clock on your way out of the house indicated it was mid-morning. Lucy hadn’t woken you up due to how late you arrived last night, having taken the last possible train out of Hulbury. Your lack of forward planning had mostly been responsible for your post-midnight arrival, since you’d waved off her suggestions at buying a ticket earlier. In your prior experiences, the trains heading south were never fully booked.

Well, at least, not until yesterday. And you apologized profusely, you _had_ , and you would’ve talked Lucy’s ear right off with sorry’s and you-were-right’s and confused remarks about why the trains were busy out of the blue, if she hadn’t stopped you, settling for a teasing _I told you so_ before informing you where she kept the spare key (beneath the potted plant by the shed), in case she was asleep when you got here. You hadn’t bothered to call her when you approached the front gate of her house, not wanting to accidentally wake her up, so you’d fished out the spare key and let yourself in to learn you were correct: Lucy was fast asleep, all lights switched off save for the softly glowing lamp by the front door to provide you with some illumination as you toed off your boots and got settled. The note she’d left you on the end table informed you where the guest room and bathroom were, and a post script encouraging you to help yourself to any food in the kitchen.

Lucy had work today, which meant you weren’t surprised, nor offended, to receive no greeting at the door. You know she would have loved to stay up and wait and that was enough for you. However, she had also left early this morning because she was in charge of opening the cafe, and you still haven’t had the chance to see her. That’s where you’re headed to now, intent on finally saying hello and also grabbing a bite to eat. You hadn’t eaten since you left Hulbury, as you were too tired to have a snack last night, and you’re starving.

This is the first instance you have traveled to Wedgehurst to visit Lucy, as she moved from Turffield and hasn’t lived here long, but you have been here a couple of times in the past, and you consider those prior visits to be mostly sufficient for navigating your way around town. Your steps slow every so often as you observe your surroundings, searching for familiar landmarks to tell you you’re going in the right direction. But pretty soon you think you’ve made a couple of circles, passing no cafes, and you’re prepared to ask a local for directions.

Your eyes are aimed upward at the various signs on all the buildings, and your pace had been sluggish to give you the opportunity to look them over carefully. With your focus elsewhere, you fail to notice there is anything in front of you blocking your path, and you only do when you collide none-too-gently with something hard. The force of impact with what felt very much like a brick wall knocks you off your feet, and you fall to the ground, a small _oof!_ leaving your mouth as your butt hits the cobblestone pavement.

“Ow…” You reach back to rub gingerly at your tailbone, which stings slightly, and cringe in pain. This might’ve hurt less if it hadn’t been on stone.

Once the pain starts to subside, you look up to see what you’d run into, and your eyes widen when you register the orange scales and wings whose span you can easily envision even while they are drawn close to the Pokemon’s body. The average Charizard is significantly taller than you are, but the height of this one is emphasized to a greater degree because of your position on the ground. You figure you should get up, since you’d been sitting here for longer than necessary, but to be honest, you’re too shocked to move.

_Why is there a Charizard in the middle of the town square?!_

Its back has been turned to you the whole time, and you follow up your silent question with an exclamation that it hadn’t even _noticed_ you ran into it! But as if it has heard your internal monologue, it finally twists around. You lean back quickly to avoid the flames at the tip of its long tail, and soon you’re met with the curious gaze of the Charizard. You might think its wide eyes were cute if you weren’t currently this near to it and skittish at the prospect of being lit on fire.

You’re not sure if you should say something, and you open your mouth to greet it hello, but the word dies in your throat the moment the Charizard leans down to study you more closely. Its head tilts and you freeze where you are, deciding to let it sniff you until it was satisfied and backed away. You worry it will chase after you if you try to scoot back to increase distance.

The seconds feel like minutes and that’s probably because you’re hesitant to even _breathe_ while the Charizard is practically in your face. You nearly decide to throw caution to the wind and back up anyway just so you can attempt to stand and hopefully continue on your way, but luckily you don’t have to. Your saving grace is a figure who’d been obscured from view by the towering Pokemon.

“Did you see something?” the man standing behind the Charizard asks, peeking around its shoulder.

The Charizard stands back up straight and now you can’t breathe for an entirely different reason as your gaze meets the amber eyes of the Galar region champion himself. He’s also much taller than you are given where you sit, but that still doesn’t change much even after he has held a hand out to help you up, for at your full height, you’re face-to-face with the fluffy collar of his cape.

“Are you all right?” His next question is aimed at you as he makes sure you’re steady on your feet before he lets go. Your cheeks had already been burning first from the fact you’d run into _the champion’s Charizard_ , and second from the fact _the champion held your hand_ , but now you think your cheeks are so hot they could compete with the surface of the sun because he’s looking you over. You know it’s just to check for any injuries but your point still stands— _the_ Leon is _right in front of you_ and, at least in these several seconds, you’re the center of his attention!

“U-Um…” you stammer, and you berate yourself inwardly at your sudden incapability to string together a cohesive sentence. “Yeah… I-I’m all right. Really, it was my fault… I wasn’t watching where I was going.” You chuckle sheepishly. Suddenly you’re conscious of how hard your heart is beating.

Leon smiles and _wow_ , the gravity of how absolutely _starstruck_ you are in this moment is just beginning to dawn on you. “Well I’m happy you’re okay. I don’t think I would ever forgive myself if you’d been hurt.”

You flush at the notion that he could have that much concern for your wellbeing, and you simultaneously wish that he would stop watching you and that he would also never turn away. “Yeah…” you state again, trailing off quietly. “No need to worry about me.”

He nods, satisfied, and you wonder what happens from here. Do you say goodbye and take your leave? But you realize you don’t really want to do that. As nervous as it makes you being this close to him, you do really like being in his presence because you’ve finally met him and you don’t want this chance to go to waste! Quickly you scramble for anything else you could say, if only to prolong the conversation. Who knows the next time this sort of chance would arise? You might never experience anything like this again!

“What brings you to Wedgehurst?” you decide to inquire.

“I’m visiting my family,” he informs you. His readiness to answer is a relief. You aren’t bothering him, and he’s not in a rush to be somewhere. “I just got here this morning.”

_That’s right, he’s from the area_. He’s from Postwick, just down the road. Wedgehurst has the nearest station. You start to feel a little dumb for asking that question in particular. The town he comes from is basic knowledge if one knows anything about the champion of Galar, and it would make sense he’d be here every now and then to visit his family. The heat in your cheeks remains, refusing to subside due to your nerves and your embarrassment.

“I’m sure they’ll be very excited to see you.” You smile, hoping it doesn’t look awkward.

The smile’s still on his own face and his eyes twinkle at your statement, as if envisioning the ecstatic greetings he’ll receive once he walks through the front door. “I’m really excited to see them too. Actually…” he trails off, and then it’s his turn to laugh as he rubs the back of his neck. “I was on my way there, but I may have gotten myself lost.”

Your smile widens and some of your bashfulness wanes at the common ground you have found with Leon. You’re about to tell him as much, that you’re lost too, not having the slightest idea where the cafe could be at this point, but from over his shoulder, you catch a glimpse of a growing crowd, murmuring amongst themselves as they stare in your direction, and so you change the topic.

“It seems people are noticing you’re here.”

Leon blinks and glances behind him. The murmurs increase in volume at the confirmation that it is indeed Leon accompanying that Charizard (though could there really be that many other people walking alongside one, and with a cape cascading down their back?). They’re only bound to rise still as more people stop to see what’s going on and discover he’s in town, and Leon lifts a hand in a brief wave of greeting.

He turns back to you. “I hate to cut our conversation short…”

His tone sounds genuinely disappointed and your heart skips a beat. Had he really liked talking to you too? Or was this just to be polite? You’re more inclined to go with the latter, now that you really think about it. He’s definitely had to learn to gently close out conversations during his reign as champion, with so many people wanting to talk to him. But you know that he’s busy and you can’t keep him to yourself forever, so you’re not dismayed as you nod in understanding.

“Of course. I have to get going anyway.”

He smiles in thanks. He’s about to turn away to address the now sizable crowd of onlookers, but pauses and looks down at you. “I enjoyed our talk.”

Okay, so maybe what you’d surmised previously about him not being saddened to have to turn his attention elsewhere had been wrong. Had he enjoyed it too? Had he truly enjoyed talking to you? You want desperately to say yes, but you think your heart might stop should you acknowledge it. You could only ever hope to see Leon in person, and it was beyond any dream of yours that you should be able to actually hold a conversation, one where he liked it just as much as you did.

You leave him with his fans, and as you continue down the sidewalk, you sigh because you still don’t know where the cafe is.

Eventually you find it with the aid of a postman. It turns out by the time you’d asked him for help, you hadn’t been far. Just around the corner, he said. The bell jingles quietly as you enter, and Lucy is behind the counter, preoccupied with the register. She speaks up to welcome you, but doesn’t look away from her task until you walk right up to her and remark how hungry you are.

Her eyes light up at hearing your voice and she squeals, leaning over the counter to hug you. She apologizes for not being up to greet you when you arrived but you wave it off. _The important thing is that I’m here now, right?_ Her grin matches yours at these words and you have missed each other greatly. You order a hot chocolate and a muffin, then scan the establishment for an open table.

You claim the booth in the corner with its extra window space and observe the world past the glass. The streets are busier and as mid-morning is slowly ticking its way to noon, you’re sure many people will be going out for lunch soon. As you watch them walk by, your eyes rove back and forth along the sidewalk. A part of you is wondering if Leon might turn the corner any second now, and deep down you hope that he does, so you might be able to see him.

At the thought of him, your mind replays the encounter you had, and your heart beats quicker once more, the tiniest bit of adrenaline coursing through your veins and if it increases any more you might become fidgety. You still can’t quite believe you’d met him, and you speculate, half humorously and half seriously because you’re still trying to wrap your head around what has happened, that perhaps somehow the fall you took knocked you out and it had all been a dream. And perhaps it wasn’t a Charizard you ran into, but a… a lamp post.

You deadpan. _How lame!_ Well in any case, whether a Charizard or a lamp post, your embarrassment would remain. Why do you have to be such a klutz?

With your body turned towards the window and your focus on overthinking every little detail of your meeting with Leon, you don’t hear Lucy approaching with a tray containing the food you ordered. You jump in surprise when she sets it down and luckily she’s a professional and maintains her own composure, so as not to jostle the ceramic mug filled to the brim with hot chocolate.

She laughs and raises a brow. “Jumpy today?”

You let out a breath and reach out for the mug. Tendrils of steam float up from the delicious beverage and dissipate in the air. “Just caught up in my thoughts.”

“Thoughts about what?” Lucy slides into the booth across from you and folds her hands together, showcasing her readiness to listen. “The cafe’s quiet, so I’ve got time for some girl talk.”

You smile but don’t say anything immediately, opting first to take a sip of your hot chocolate. The drink is sweet and maybe too sweet for some, but it’s perfect for you. You feel it warm you from the inside out, and you wish there was hot chocolate this good back in Hulbury. You might like to enjoy it while staring out at a misty sea early in the morning.

“You won’t believe who I saw earlier.”

Lucy narrows her eyes as she considers the statement. Your smile hasn’t left your face, and it makes her smile too, though it’s a little uneasy because she’s drawing a blank. “Who?”

You’d wanted her to guess, to humor you at least, but as she sits across from you now, you’re too excited to prolong it any longer. Almost subconsciously you lower your voice and lean in. “Leon.”

Her eyes widen and she looks like she’s about to yell her response but then seems to catch herself because it would go against her professional nature to raise her voice suddenly. So she follows your lead, voice just above a whisper but still capable of a sharp exclamation of shock. “ _The_ Leon?!”

You nod, and it’s so giddy you might be embarrassed if you were talking with anyone else but your best friend. Your cheeks are straining from how big your smile is and how long you’re holding it for. “ _Yes!_ ” You recount it for her, how nice he had been and how much the cameras really didn’t do him justice. Plus, if you had anything to say about it, the sunshine beat the harsh stadium lights any day of the week— _Not that it matters, he looks good in both!_

Your retelling is punctuated with a disappointed sigh at the end as you express your regret at failing to ask for an autograph or a photo. You’d been so caught up in the moment, it never occurred to you do to either of those things. Lucy chuckles at your small whine, your hands on your cheeks both to conceal the reddening that has blossomed once more and in an effort to cool down the burning sensation (it doesn’t work).

“So you just saw him while you were walking around?” she asks.

The question stops you short, and you didn’t think it was possible, but your flustered state increases tenfold. You may or may not have purposely skipped over how exactly you ran into him. It wouldn’t have done much good. Lucy was bound to address it eventually. No choice but to come out with it. “Well… I ran into his Charizard… and fell… not very gracefully…”

Lucy’s eyes widen and she breaks out into a laugh. “You ran into it?”

“I wasn’t looking where I was going, okay!”

She throws herself back in her seat from how much she’s laughing and you groan, unable to work up the nerve to glance around for any patrons at the cafe who have noticed her fit. The reason you give for how a conversation with Leon had come about, while completely true, also sounds incredibly stupid, now that you say it out loud. A Charizard is not easy to miss.

“That is so _cute!_ ”

“It was _not_ cute, Lucy!”

Her laughs don’t sound like they will subside anytime soon and you’d like to disappear. Sure, you’d imagined what it might be like to finally meet _the_ champion, dreamed of it even, but never had you anticipated that your meeting would be born out of your fleeting attention and two left feet. You think it’s the idealist in you that thought it would be smooth, that you’d be confident, if a little shy, but for the most part composed, all in an effort to impress. But you really do need to listen to the realist more often. Screwing up the way you had is basically inevitable with your level of clumsiness.

You can barely contain a squeak of horror as you consider what Leon might’ve been thinking. It wasn’t hard to put together the pieces of what transpired while he’d been turned away and, again, Charizard sticks out like a sore thumb in the middle of town, if not for its height then for its bright scales and flame-tipped tail! Your fall had not been an impressive display in the least bit, nor had your flustered attempts at conversation. All those daydreams were practically rehearsals and you still couldn’t get it right.

“It is!” Lucy shoots back. “And I bet Leon thought it was cute too.”

Are your cheeks on fire? They feel like they’ve been set on fire.

Lucy hones in on the dusting of pink across your cheeks deepening still and giggles. In your opinion, she is having too fun pointing out how flustered the whole situation is making you. First with your actual conversation with Leon and the ways you’d screwed up, and now as she puts up the idea that he could possibly think your lack of coordination was endearing. You don’t want to entertain the thought that he might like you like that, at least not anymore, because meeting him had changed how you saw him.

Whenever you watched his battles on television, you’d always made the passing remark that he was attractive. With his confidence and that beaming grin, who could be impervious to his charm? To see him in person and to talk to him was pushing you far past the point of simply recognizing his good looks and leaving it at that. From how he held himself on camera, shaking hands with challengers and praising their admirable efforts afterward during interviews, you’d known him to be kind. But it was something else entirely to be on the receiving end of it yourself. Concern was evident in his eyes when he saw you on the ground and rushed to help you up, and it hadn’t dissipated until you assured him you were fine.

Then his smile, _geez_ , you’d be happy falling asleep to the thought of it every night for the rest of your life. You shrank in the midst of it, in disbelief to be the center of his sights in that moment, and for all the nerves you couldn’t shake, you still have to admit, it had felt nice. You swore you could see the rising sun in his amber gaze; the shine of the first slivers of morning light reflecting off the sea is poor competition. And in your wistful reminiscence of the details of that kindness lining his face which made him positively glow, you’ve officially gone and done it—with the realization that what makes him truly wonderful lies beneath the surface, you have blown past the marker that signifies your attraction as mere infatuation.

However, you don’t reveal any of these thoughts to Lucy. You don’t want to, at least not yet. For the time being, you’re content to let her keep believing that you are like many others, harboring an admiration for the Leon you all see on television. You suppose in a way, you hold back from sharing it due to hesitation and the paranoia of overthinking. Would these feelings fade? Wedgehurst is a small town but you don’t know that you’ll see him again, and you have no idea when he’ll return north. If you did travel to see a match in person, who’s to say you might have another conversation like the one this morning? He’s constantly being swept away by fans, and in a large city like Wyndon, it’s bound to happen more often. You just want to temper your feelings, an attempt to spare yourself of disappointment. He was _Leon_ , after all, champion of Galar, and you’re… well, you’re _you_. A nobody from Hulbury.

You don’t like to go to bed bitter and you regret coming back to this topic when you’re already laying down. The moon is at the perfect angle to shine through the window, and you stare at the wash of light it paints on the wall. _There are probably plenty of prettier girls in Wyndon_ , you think dejectedly. It’s silly to ponder the idea he might like you back. Besides, now that you’ve had more time to think, and you’re not so blinded by how starstruck you were to meet him because that was hours ago, you contemplate the fact he might already be dating someone.

That wouldn’t be a surprise. How could he be single? With a huff, you practically deflate at the conclusion you come to, sinking into the mountain of blankets Lucy had set aside for you to use since she knows you get cold easily. You turn onto your side, no longer interested in the moonlight, and pull the edge of the thick comforter up to just below your eyes. You’d held off on deciding for certain if what you felt for Leon was serious, and you were left disappointed anyway. Overthinking’s good for no one.

So you tell yourself not to let it go any farther. Leon’s attractive, yes, and he’s caring, _yes_. _But_ you won’t get hung up on him! That would lead you down the rabbit hole of dashed hopes and dreams and that wouldn’t be good for your emotions. You’re done thinking about this, done trying to reconcile your feelings and justify that the conversation with him had stuck out to him as special, that _you_ had stuck out to him as special.

Of course, it’s always easier said than done. And you know that, and you hate that you do! You know that if you were to see him again, all your resolve would be flushed down the toilet. Given how small Wedgehurst is, to come across him once more is very much possible. Well… you guess you could just try your best to avoid him? (That’s definitely not something you ever thought you’d say. You, avoiding seeing the _champion of Galar_. Is that something _anyone_ would aim to do?)

Lucy isn’t able to take off work during your visit, but you don’t mind. There’s plenty to keep you occupied, whether walking along the trails or through town, window shopping and keeping tabs on restaurants you’d like to go eat at. The locals are friendly and you chat with them too. Though to your chagrin, most chitchat comes back to Leon eventually, as they ask excitedly if you know he’s in town. You can’t blame them for their enthusiasm and you smile and nod. Some of those you speak with can’t contain their comments on how good-looking he is in person and you can’t blame them for that either. But whenever you walk away from those particular conversations, the air seems to finally let you out of its tight hold.

_This whole avoidance thing isn’t very successful…_ Even if you didn’t see him, you were hearing about him. What turned into a day where you did your best to block him from your mind, has turned into one where he’s all you’ve been thinking about since you stepped outside. Did the universe just know? Was it purposely working against you? If so, you couldn’t fathom why.

You spot a flower shop just up ahead, and it’s a welcome distraction. The closer you get, the stronger the aroma becomes. There’s a display with various flowers out front, some in pots and some arranged in beautiful bouquets wrapped with brown paper. A small chalkboard sign advertises the sale prices for the arrangements, a special that will last the rest of the week. This prompts you to more carefully survey the selection. Perhaps you could get one for Lucy, a small gift to say thanks for letting you stay in her house (and raid her pantry, as you’d jokingly remarked the other day).

There’s a bouquet primarily made of pale yellow flowers, and you pick it up to look at in more detail. It kind of reminds you of her blonde hair, and it makes you smile slightly. That’d be a cute reason for choosing this one. You breathe in the sweet smell they emanate and it only serves to convince you more that you should buy it. But there was still the inside of the shop to walk through.

“Hey!”

You look up, brows furrowed in confusion. You weren’t sure if the call was meant for you, and you glance left and right until you see Leon. He’s several yards away, and he’s grinning and waving in your direction and yes, that call out _had_ been meant for you.

Your eyes widen and your heart beats quicker, but this time it’s not for the same reasons as during your first encounter with him. Now, all you can think is _you_ _have to get out of here!_ You force a smile on your face but it’s probably more of a cringe than anything, and hastily you set the bouquet back down. You’re trying to be careful with it since the flowers are fragile, but you’re moving so fast you nearly knock down the rest of the bouquets. With a small gasp, you stretch out your arm to steady the row. Heart beating quicker now, you slowly back away, still on edge in case they start to move again and you have to rush forward to stabilize them.

Thankfully, they stay as they are, and you don’t turn towards Leon, instead walking the opposite direction. You don’t look over your shoulder, so you don’t know how he’s reacted. It does hurt a little to actively be moving farther away, because deep down, you’re still a fan and you think you’ll always gush over how skilled he is, but you need to sort out your feelings first. And by sort out, you mean let them go.

If Leon is confused about what’s happened, he isn’t left to be confused for long. He’s lingered in the same spot long enough that some people have seen him and flocked to him for photos.

When you see Lucy later on, you make a point to leave out that awkward encounter from your series of stories.

The two of you go out for brunch on the day she has a late start at the cafe. You’re trying to convince her to visit you next. _It’s your turn to come to me!_ She chuckles and says she promises to go, she just needs to get the days off. She’d already recently gone out of town to visit her parents. But you’re fine with waiting, and you declare that with her forward planning, her ticket-buying experience won’t be nearly as stressful as yours had been.

“We could go spectate a battle at the water gym,” you suggest. “It’s been a while since we went to one together.”

Lucy grins and holds a hand to her chest, quiet for a moment as she remembers the grass gym that had been basically her backyard, prior to moving here. “I still think about the Wooloo all the trainers kept at the grass gym. I count them to fall asleep sometimes.”

You laugh. “Do you think if you count the Wooloo you see on Route 1 that you might knock yourself out?”

Lucy laughs too. “You know, I wouldn’t put it past me.”

You accompany Lucy on her walk to the cafe and end up lingering a bit longer to enjoy a cup of tea. After the large meal you had, you wanted to get one to help settle your stomach. There are more customers at this time so Lucy has no chance to stop and chat, only turning her attention away from her duties long enough to bid you goodbye and a _See you later!_ as you start heading out, leaning your body on the glass door to push it open.

The boutique is down the road, and you consider going there. You’d been in need of some new clothes, and you enjoy rifling through the selections and styles of all the towns and cities whenever you’re in the area. It helps give your wardrobe some variety. But from where you stand currently, the flower shop is in your line of view, and you still wanted to buy flowers for Lucy. With a nod of resolution, you decide to go there first, and then the boutique.

Since you’d already looked over the flowers out front, you go straight for the open door of the shop. Inside, there are more shelves displaying more flowers, some in ceramic pots and some in wicker baskets. Wooden slats line the edges of the ceiling and it’s from these that vibrant green plants hang in white pots. The colors that greet your eyes as they rove over the numerous rows of flora are pretty and you think you’ll be here for a while. Not only do you want to take your time choosing, you’re not intent to leave the presence of these flowers and their pleasant aromas too quickly.

Because there’s so much to go through, you want to take an organized approach. You start with the aisle on the far side, head tilted back to look at the selection higher up, and then you work your way down each shelf, slowly walking along all the while.

“Welcome!”

The florist greets you, having seen you from her place behind the counter, and you smile, turning your head to say hello, but you freeze when you notice there’s someone at the register you really hoped you wouldn’t come across _again_.

At the florist’s greeting, Leon glances behind him at who she’s speaking to, and he also seems to stop short when he realizes it’s you. He smiles, the corner of his lips lifting in an amiable but silent greeting of his own, and it’s unusual that he should be so subdued, but you think that’s due to the fact you’re indoors. He has no need to call out for you when you’re just a few steps away.

“H-Hi…” you stutter, smiling and looking at the florist and doing your best to pretend there’s no one else standing there. But that fails, of course, as your eyes inevitably slide over to meet Leon’s gaze. His grin widens a little when you actually do hold his stare, and you think you might give in, that you’ll cave and throw caution to the wind.

_No, you can’t!_

You twist around on your heel, being sure to move casually so as not to seem out of the ordinary, and you try to clear your mind by scanning over the flowers again. As soon as you turn out of the aisle, however, you’re speed-walking back outside. The cool breeze that hits you is a relief. The atmosphere in the flower shop had become suffocating the moment you saw Leon, closing in on you like it was pressuring you to just give up on your decision to avoid him. Because clearly if you were running into him this often, the universe was telling you to stop resisting, right?

With a heavy sigh, you walk to the edge of town towards Route 1, plans to go to the boutique set aside. Even if that _were_ true, you were too averse to the idea of being let down, and that your feelings wouldn’t be returned. And the thing is, it wouldn’t be Leon’s fault. It never would be, and you would never dream of being irritated with him, but you desperately want to make sure any such feelings of attraction on your part are gone before you’re comfortable talking to him again and you could entertain the notion of being friends, if he was interested in that too. And being friends with him doesn’t sound bad at all!

That is, if you do see him again. Maybe the universe will take your continued avoidance as final, and the two of you will go your separate ways from here and you’ll be left wondering if you might get the chance to talk to him again, or if he’ll even remember who you are the next time your paths cross.

You shake your head. You’re overthinking. _Surprise, surprise_. A walk would do just the trick to clear it, and you’re now staring out at the dirt road leading to Postwick and the tall grass on either side. You readjust your backpack, and the Poké Balls inside it clack with the movement. Lucy had given you the last few she had, so you could try your hand at it. You’d scrunched up your nose and reminded her it wasn’t your first time using them, and she’d chuckled. Though her phrasing hadn’t been unfounded, for you have so little experience catching Pokemon that this might as well be your first go at it.

Training Pokemon wasn’t something you saw yourself doing. You don’t think you have the skills or the resolution to train up a team. The only Pokemon you do have is Jojo, your Yamper back in Hulbury. He’s the only one you ever caught, and that was enough to satisfy you. He’s practically your best friend, even beating Lucy, which you never told her, but you have a sneaking suspicion that she knows. (Though you love them both dearly.)

Lucy’s the one with more experience with catching Pokemon, and she’d offered to help you. She gave you the Poké Balls this morning in case you did want to try while she was still at work. Now that you’re out on Route 1, you think you might at least try it once by yourself, to test your memory regarding all the little pointers she’d shared with you in the past.

You stick to the road for the most part, not intent to walk into the grass unless you’re sure of what’s there. You don’t want to get caught up with a Pokemon trying to fight you with no Pokemon of your own to defend yourself. With the fresh air filling your lungs and the sun shining amidst patches of clouds, you’re starting to feel more energized, and considerably less stressed. Soon you aren’t thinking of Leon or your feelings or even of the town behind you. There’s just you, the Poké Balls in your backpack, and—

A bleat reaches your ears. You look to the left and see a lone Wooloo munching on grass.

—and Wooloo!

Your eyes light up and you quietly take out a Poké Ball. Clutching it in your hand, you creep forward, careful to take light steps. The Wooloo isn’t facing you, and so long as your approach is gentle, this shouldn’t be any trouble. Once you’re closer, you crouch down to be at eye-level. For a few seconds you simply stay still and watch it eat. It bleats again and shakes its head, its little braids swinging back and forth.

As it returns to eating, you take a deep breath and mentally prepare yourself. Wooloo in particular are skittish, and they’ll run away if they become startled. You’re about to throw the Poké Ball, but you feel as if you’re still a little too far to be comfortable. From this distance, you’re not confident your throw would be accurate. You just need to move up a little bit more…

If your gasp is what had grabbed the Wooloo’s attention first, it’s your tumble to and hard impact with the dirt that scares it off entirely. Your foot had got caught on a rock you didn’t notice and you tripped. The Poké Ball slides out of your grip and rolls away, but you hardly pay that any mind, for the rocky ground wasn’t very forgiving on your body and that was all you could focus on. You push yourself up, wincing from having the breath taken right out of you.

You sit on your knees and glance around in search of the Wooloo. It’s farther away now and has returned to eating as if nothing’s wrong, but you sigh heavily at having to start the process all over again.

“Dang it…”

“Are you okay?”

You blink and turn around, and you’re thoroughly startled yourself to see Leon approaching. It’s a repeat of your first encounter as he holds a hand out, and while part of you wants to hesitate due to your conflicting emotions regarding him, you’re also still a reasonable person and you won’t ignore a literal helping hand. He guides you back to a standing position and he’s grinning knowingly, like he’s also cognizant of the fact this is playing the exact same as your initial meeting.

The amusement in his gaze is contagious and you smile, chuckling as you say yes, you’re okay.

He nods, then he looks down at the Poké Ball you dropped. Putting the pieces together, he then turns his head to the Wooloo. “You’re trying to catch it!” It isn’t even a question.

“Oh, uh, yeah, I am…” You’re quiet as you confirm his remark. What must he think, that you’re failing to catch a Wooloo, of all Pokemon?

“I’ll help you!”

You don’t think you heard him correctly. “What?”

“Yeah! Come on, let’s go get you a Wooloo.” He walks the few steps to the fallen Poké Ball and picks it up before returning to you.

Well, what else was there to say besides yes? _No?_ You’d have to be stupid to decline because not only are you willing to admit you could really benefit from some assistance, given the earlier display of your lack of prowess, you’re also being offered help by the greatest Pokemon trainer in the region! Not even the side of you battling with your feelings for him could win out in this situation because right now he isn’t Leon, a man you seriously think you’re falling for but are trying not to; right now, he’s Leon the Galar champion, and there’s a Pokemon to catch.

Leon holds up the Poké Ball for you to take, and his eyes are sparkling with an unbridled excitement he can’t hide. And you begin to understand the passion that runs through his blood for Pokemon, to catch them and to help others catch them too. For him, the current pursuit is not for _just_ a Wooloo because it doesn’t matter to him that its not a formidable Pokemon, able to give him a run for his money. It matters to him that it matters to _you_ , and his face is hopeful that you’ll agree to let him join, so you could have the experience together.

And who could say no to that?

“Okay, let’s do it,” you state, taking back the Poké Ball.

Leon guides you closer to the Wooloo, his focus occasionally switching from the Pokemon down to the ground. Momentarily you wonder why, then figure he must be watching out for anymore rocks. He’s covering you where you need the extra help, as you’re unable to split your own attention between tracking the Wooloo and watching where you’re walking. The awareness is admirable and, really, kind of sweet.

“Let’s stop here.” He lowers his voice to a whisper. He’s gotten you closer to the Wooloo than you’d gotten on your own the first time.

“Wait, but it’s facing me,” you point out. Your plan had been to take it by surprise, but you’re both in clear view of it. It leans down to take another mouthful of grass then lifts its head to chew, and it’s staring right at you.

“That’s okay,” Leon reassures. “Just be gentle, and take it slow.”

He gives you a nod, your signal to go ahead, but you don’t move. It really shouldn’t be a big deal if you fail to catch it this time, as you could always try again. You did bring extra Poké Balls. You just don’t want to make a fool of yourself in front of Leon. You think you’ve done enough of that already. Plus this is his element, and at the very least if you can’t impress, you want to prove yourself competent.

Your brows furrow. _Stop thinking too much!_ But Leon isn’t bothered by your hesitation and he smiles to help put you at ease. “Remember: it has to choose you too.”

This last bit of advice is the push you need, and you start to take careful steps forward. You’ve chosen this Wooloo to catch, but the second half would involve cooperation on the Wooloo’s part. And you do hope it chooses you too. It hasn’t tried to run away yet, and you take that as a good sign. You can’t prevent the sifting of the grass beneath your shoes as you walk, but it’s not a jarring noise like your fall had been, so the Wooloo stays put.

You keep your voice at a low volume, softly greeting the fluffy Pokemon. “Hello there…”

The Wooloo’s eyes follow you closely and you could swear it understands what you’re saying.

You crouch low to be face-to-face with it, and the distance between you could be covered with a small toss. The Wooloo bleats, but remains where it is. You know this is it, this is your shot, but you still feel too nervous to do anything without some sort of instruction, so you glance behind you at Leon. He’s gesturing enthusiastically for you to throw, and you can pick up on the urgency easily. If you took too long, even for all your efforts to be quiet, the Wooloo might run away anyway.

You hold your breath as you toss the Poké Ball, afraid that a shaky exhale would throw off your aim and you’d somehow still miss. The Wooloo is scooped up by the Poké Ball, which lands on the ground with a light thud. You stay rooted to the spot, staring intently at the flashing light. _Still yellow…_

The Poké Ball clicks.

_Green!_

You shoot back up into a standing position and grab the Poké Ball with a squeal of elation. “It chose me!” you exclaim.

Leon is laughing as he approaches you. “I knew you could do it!”

Before you realize what’s happening, he’s pulled you into a bear hug, arms wrapped around your shoulders. You collide with his chest, a quiet _oof!_ leaving your mouth to punctuate the impact, and your cheeks are rapidly heating up. You were so absorbed in trying to catch the Wooloo that you forgot you were supposed to be flustered around him! And now that shyness is coming back as he holds you close. Not only are you supposed to be flustered, you’re supposed to be avoiding him. This was _not_ avoiding him. But despite telling yourself to pull away, to make an excuse that you have to be somewhere, _anywhere_ else, you don’t want to do either of those. No, you think you’d like to stay right here.

When he finally lets you go, he seems shocked with himself to have kept you in the hug as long as he had. He chuckles, and it’s nervous, you can tell because it sounds like the one you’d given when you admitted to him you accidentally ran into his Charizard. If you’re right, if he is nervous, you don’t address it since you know what it’s like, and attention being drawn to it is far from ideal. So instead you glance down at the Poké Ball in your grasp, then back up at him.

“Thanks.”

You hope he can sense the sincerity in your voice, and can surmise all the different reasons why you are thankful to him. He helped you catch a Pokemon, first and foremost, and this is not a privilege many have, to have Leon, of all trainers, aid them. Secondly, he believed in you from the beginning when you were doubtful of yourself, had enough confidence for the both of you and then some. And lastly, that he’d been so ready to cheer you on and was there to help you up with zero hesitation, even after being subjected to, from his perspective, your very odd behavior.

He smiles, and it’s warm, and you know that yes, he picked up on all of it. “You’re welcome.”

And then, the dreaded topic finally rolls around, as it was bound to once Leon caught up to you and made sure you couldn’t make any escape, of your continued avoidance. You try to mentally prepare yourself as he opens his mouth to speak, but you find you’re still not ready.

“Well, now that we’re here talking, and you haven’t tried to run away, could I ask why you were avoiding me?”

“It’s… It’s stupid…” you trail off, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

Leon’s brow raises and he’s showing the slightest hint of amusement. “What is?”

Wow, now that you’re here, you _really_ don’t want to say it out loud. But he’s watching you closely, and you can’t get out of this one. _Just come out with it!_

“I… like you.” Your face is burning. “And I mean I did before, but the day we met and you helped me up after I fell, I realized how _much_ I like you. You’re just so kind, and I dunno… it was different to experience it firsthand. You weren’t just someone on a television screen anymore.”

You finally muster up the courage to glance up at him, and you can’t read his expression, which is worrisome. Then he smiles, almost imperceptibly, but you catch the quirk of the corner of his lips, and you don’t know if it’s just you being hopeful or searching for things that aren’t actually there when you detect that he seems… _happy_.

“How much do you like me?”

At his question, you want to groan and not answer. Your entire body might be set aflame from the embarrassment. Yet he waits patiently for you to respond, and if you’re in this deep, you might as well keep going.

“A lot.” It’s quiet, and if he weren’t as close as he is, he wouldn’t be able to hear it.

Leon’s smile widens at the admission, but then he tilts his head as he thinks. “Wait, so because you like me a lot, you were avoiding me?”

“Well, no… I just… I didn’t want to accept I had feelings that strong for you, and I couldn’t do that if I kept seeing you around.”

“But why didn’t you want to accept them?”

“Because I figured someone else might’ve caught your eye by now,” you explain, eyes sliding back down to the ground. “I mean, you’re _you._ You have all the girls in Galar falling head over heels for you! And I thought… maybe you already had a girl in Wyndon who captured your attention.”

You were expecting him to confirm your assumptions or to laugh at how much you have overthought this, the way you overthink everything, and you were expecting to drown in your awkwardness. But he doesn’t laugh. He doesn’t tell you that you’re right and your sentiments are sweet and all but he’s already seeing someone. Instead, he’s completely silent, and this catches you off guard.

When you dare to look at him, he’s watching you closely. His grin is soft and he shakes his head. “No girl in Wyndon, no. But I _was_ hoping to catch the eye of one here. That is, if she’d stop trying to avoid me.”

You were ready to come out with the _It’s okay_ and _Really, it’s fine, my feelings aren’t hurt_ , and now that he has hit you with this, you don’t know what to say. Except—

“What?”

Leon chuckles at the confusion laced in your tone, and he continues on, in a manner more relaxed than you had been while confessing. “I wanted to talk to you more after the first time, but when you kept running away, I figured you didn’t want to talk, so I didn’t pry. I thought my charm had failed me when I needed it most.” His grin is sheepish as he shrugs.

You can’t believe what you’re hearing. Leon had been interested from the very start. You _had_ stuck out to him in the way you hoped you had, before you tried to stifle that wishful thinking with the more realistic expectation that he would never like you like that. But apparently that hadn’t been realistic in the least bit, and your self-doubt and your propensity for overthinking had you both running in a circle, chasing after each other and never catching up. That is, until you realized all you had to do was turn around.

“I’m sorry I made you feel that way,” you apologize. “I should’ve given you a chance.”

Leon smiles and that’s all it takes for him to let you know that it’s okay. That’s all in the past now. “If you want to make it up to me, you could start by telling me your name?”

You smile too, more at ease now, and tell him.

He nods and repeats it, and there’s a satisfaction inherent in his gaze, as if content to finally know it. Then he says it again, and you can’t help grinning too because you like the way it sounds, and this time he tacks onto the end of it a request to go out with him on a date. And, well, what else was there to say besides yes?

When you and Leon part ways, with plans for lunch tomorrow, you return to Lucy’s house. She’s already in the kitchen, gathering ingredients. The two of you are going to make dinner tonight and have a movie marathon. After you close the front door, she calls out, “How was your day?”

“Good!” you reply, removing your shoes and throwing your backpack and jacket onto the couch. “How was yours?”

“Also good.” Lucy shuts the cupboard and sets down the mixing bowl and smiles as you walk into the kitchen. “Oh, and also, guess who stopped by the cafe earlier.”

You shrug. “Who?”

“Leon! You’re so right, you know. He’s much better looking in person. And he’s so nice too!”

You figure he must’ve stopped by to eat lunch because why else would he go to the cafe? But then Lucy points to a vase of flowers you hadn’t noticed was sitting on the dining table. “He actually went to drop those off and ask that I give them to you. He said he knew we were friends because he saw us hanging out. I just went ahead and put them in some water.”

As Lucy rifles through the spice cabinet for the ones she needs for tonight’s dish, you walk up to the table to look at the flowers more closely. They’re a pale yellow. You smile is equal parts fond at Leon’s thoughtfulness and good memory, and amusement due to the fact he’d bought the bouquet you were intending to give Lucy. Your train for Hulbury leaves tomorrow, after your date with Leon, so you suppose you could pretend to reason with Lucy that the flowers were better in her care, and maybe later you can admit to her what had actually transpired.

You slide the vase closer to you to feel the soft petals, and you spot a small card tucked among the stems. Carefully you pull it away and open it up. It’s plain but for a few words written inside: _Maybe you’d let me fall for you too?_

Leon’s signed his name at the bottom, and your face might crack from how widely you’re smiling. Sighing lightly and clutching the card close to your chest, you twist around.

“So I took a walk along Route 1 earlier,” you begin, and Lucy hums so you know she’s listening, “and the funniest thing happened…”


End file.
